China trade data for July - iron ore imports to the highest level this year

Chines July trade data released Saturday showed imports of iron ore were at their highest level this year.

• 86.1 million metric tons in July (74.96 million tons in June, & was 82.52 million tons a year ago)
• Imports total 539 million tons in the first 7 months of the year (little changed from a year earlier)
• Inventory builds account for some of the jump (port inventories were near 19-month lows in early July)